Vero Beach weightlifter Verlecia Scarlett ready to press gold medal

In a shade over three years, the 18-year-old Vero Beach native has gone from girls weightlifting newbie to undefeated state title contender in the 199-pound weight class.
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Vero Beach High School girls weightlifter Verlecia Scarlett won a silver medal at 199 pounds in the 2017 Class 2A state meet. The senior has a chance to become the program's first individual state champion Saturday.(Photo: XAVIER MASCAREÑAS/TREASURE COAS)Buy Photo

When not lifting, studying or throwing the shot and discus for the track teams, Scarlett loves to spend free time drawing cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

Four years ago, she even produced an acrylic painting of the Disney pair that hangs on her bedroom wall.

"As a child growing up, that's the only show I watched," Scarlett recalled. "So when I grew up, I just started drawing those characters."

Saturday, she will write the final chapter of her high school weightlifting career.

It's taken countless reps, a little ingenuity and a relentless work ethic to get this far.

Scarlett once studied YouTube videos to better understand technique and began lifting year-round after missing qualifying for state as a sophomore by a measly 5 pounds.

“I pushed harder and kept working,” she recalled.

It paid off last season when she finished as Class 2A silver medalist with a combined lift of 375 pounds — 190 bench, 185 clean and jerk.

In some years, that would have been enough to win gold. But not against Ocoee’s Victoria Jefferson, who had a state-record 305-pound bench press and 510-pound total in winning her second consecutive state title.

“That was pretty amazing,” Scarlett said.

So far, Scarlett’s postseason bench presses are 10 to 15 pounds heavier than in 2017, up to 210 at districts and 205 at regionals.

The difference?

“The strength that you use from your legs, the amount of drive you give when you push,” Scarlett said. “For the clean and jerk, it’s just technique.”

With Jefferson having graduated, a host of challengers are ready to chase gold.

Scarlett is seeded fourth in 2A, but that’s based on her 375-pound total at regionals, where she won by 75 pounds and had no reason to push for a personal record.

Notable: Vero Beach will be trying for its second consecutive top-10 finish. The Fighting Indians tied for 10th last season with seven points. With 10 qualifiers, Vero Beach coach Pete DeLuke is hoping for a top-three finish ... Scarlett was the Class 2A silver medalist at 199 pounds while Kehoe finished fifth at 169 last season with a combined lift of 340 pounds ... Thompkins was seventh at unlimited, McGriff 10th at unlimited, Schoch ninth at 110 pounds last season and Holland 10th at 119 ... Vero Beach had seven qualifiers in 2017.